The Promise of Change

Sarah Edwards is having a midlife crisis and has the shiny new Porsche to prove it. A woman who normally craves stability, Sarah now finds herself divorced, bored, and twitchy, and her contradictory actions and emotions are giving her family and friends mental whiplash. A two-week trip to England, including a week-long course on Jane Austen at Oxford's prestigious Christ Church, seems the perfect distraction from her midlife meltdown.

Enter Alex Fraser, a.k.a. the Earl of Rutherford. Alex may be a member of the lucky sperm club, but he prefers to be known for what he's accomplished, rather than a fate of birth. Despite his family's disapproval, he is determined to work in his chosen profession of acting. One of England's most eligible bachelors, he has all the boyish charm of Hugh Grant, carries the polish of generations of earls, has the work ethic of his commoner mother, and playboy lifestyle notwithstanding, his deep respect for women prevents him from falling into the unforgiving category of womanizer.

Sarah's rather sedate intellectual vacation takes an unexpected turn when Alex literally bumps into her in an Oxford pub. The charming, amiable, and all-too-perceptive Alex proves irresistible even to Sarah's carefully guarded heart. But when a picture of the two of them appears in the British tabloids, Sarah is spooked by the negative publicity. She returns to the states determined to put her impetuous affair behind her, come back down to reality, and return to being sensible Sarah.

A year later, a presumed twist of fate brings Alex back into her life. Will Sarah walk away from love once again, or will she finally risk it all?